LIMITS IS ALSO REQUIRED TO SHELTER IN PLACE AT THEIR HOME. LATE BREAKING... A FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS SOME ABORTIONS TO RESUME IN OKLAHOMA. THIS-- AFTER "GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT" TEMPORARILY BANNED ABORTION -- SAYING THE PROCEDURE IS NON- ESSENTIAL DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC.. UNTIL AT LEAST APRIL 30TH. THE JUDGE STRIKING THAT DOWN... SAYING MEDICATION ABORTIONS MUST BE ALLOWED AGAIN... AS WELL AS SURGICAL ABORTIONS FOR ANYONE WHO WOULD BE TOO FAR ALONG TO LEGALLY GET

A federal judge has ordered a temporary restraining order that will allow some abortions to resume in Oklahoma until at least April 20 after the state's executive order classified abortions as an elective surgery.On March 27, Gov. Kevin Stitt suspended all elective medical surgeries statewide due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, including abortions, until April 30.On Monday, the federal judge ruled that all medical abortions and surgical abortions for anyone who would not legally be able to get an abortion after April 30, when the emergency order was set to expire, would be allowed temporarily until at least April 20."The court concludes that while the current public health emergency allows the state of Oklahoma to impose some of the cited measures delaying abortion procedures, it has acted in an 'unreasonable,' 'arbitrary' and 'oppressive' way -- and imposed an 'undue burden' on abortion access -- in imposing requirements that effectively deny a right of access to abortion," the judge wrote. "Further, the court concludes that the benefit to public health of the ban on medication abortions is minor and outweighed by the intrusion of the Fourteenth Amendment rights caused by that ban." The judge's full ruling can be read here."The court has stopped Gov. Stitt from exploiting this devastating pandemic as a weapon in his battle to ban abortion," Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a news release. "Abortion is time-sensitive, essential healthcare. Women in Oklahoma are again able, for the time being, to access abortion care in their state at a time when travel is even more challenging."Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter told KOCO 5 that the state plans to immediately appeal the judge's ruling, saying he's "very disappointed by the court's judicial override of Oklahoma's response to the COVID-19 pandemic instead of deferring to the state's duly elected officials' discernment.""Carving out abortion from the state’s comprehensive efforts to flatten the curve creates a horrible precedent that may encourage a flood of other judicially conjured exceptions, completely undermining the state’s ability to combat the worst public health crisis in Oklahoma history," Hunter said. "We all are making adjustments to help save thousands of lives -- abortion providers should be no different. The state is not required to prioritize ending human life in utero over saving human lives, and certainly nothing in the Constitution says so."Last week, Planned Parenthood, the ACLU and the Center for Reproductive Rights filed a lawsuit against Stitt after abortion was considered an elective surgery that could not be performed because of the state's coronavirus executive order. Lawsuits have also been filed against the governors of three other states -- Texas, Ohio and Iowa -- for the same issue."It is critical that we do everything to make sure access to abortion care is protected," said Nicole McAfee, director of policy and advocacy for the ACLU of Oklahoma. "Challenging what has been a trend by Republican governors to use the COVID-19 public health response to try to limit access to abortion care. It just seeks injunction that allows folks to provide that critical abortion access to continue to practice." Speaking on behalf of the governor's office, Hunter sent KOCO 5 statement saying the lawsuit, "It attacks the governor’s executive order which preserves limited health care resources and medical safety equipment, in blatant disregard of the escalating illness and death this pandemic is inflicting on Oklahomans."The lawsuit claims Stitt's decision violates constitutional rights and risks the health and safety of patients.

OKLAHOMA CITY —

A federal judge has ordered a temporary restraining order that will allow some abortions to resume in Oklahoma until at least April 20 after the state's executive order classified abortions as an elective surgery.

On March 27, Gov. Kevin Stitt suspended all elective medical surgeries statewide due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, including abortions, until April 30.

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On Monday, the federal judge ruled that all medical abortions and surgical abortions for anyone who would not legally be able to get an abortion after April 30, when the emergency order was set to expire, would be allowed temporarily until at least April 20.

"The court concludes that while the current public health emergency allows the state of Oklahoma to impose some of the cited measures delaying abortion procedures, it has acted in an 'unreasonable,' 'arbitrary' and 'oppressive' way -- and imposed an 'undue burden' on abortion access -- in imposing requirements that effectively deny a right of access to abortion," the judge wrote. "Further, the court concludes that the benefit to public health of the ban on medication abortions is minor and outweighed by the intrusion of the Fourteenth Amendment rights caused by that ban."

"The court has stopped Gov. Stitt from exploiting this devastating pandemic as a weapon in his battle to ban abortion," Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a news release. "Abortion is time-sensitive, essential healthcare. Women in Oklahoma are again able, for the time being, to access abortion care in their state at a time when travel is even more challenging."

Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter told KOCO 5 that the state plans to immediately appeal the judge's ruling, saying he's "very disappointed by the court's judicial override of Oklahoma's response to the COVID-19 pandemic instead of deferring to the state's duly elected officials' discernment."

"Carving out abortion from the state’s comprehensive efforts to flatten the curve creates a horrible precedent that may encourage a flood of other judicially conjured exceptions, completely undermining the state’s ability to combat the worst public health crisis in Oklahoma history," Hunter said. "We all are making adjustments to help save thousands of lives -- abortion providers should be no different. The state is not required to prioritize ending human life in utero over saving human lives, and certainly nothing in the Constitution says so."

Last week, Planned Parenthood, the ACLU and the Center for Reproductive Rights filed a lawsuit against Stitt after abortion was considered an elective surgery that could not be performed because of the state's coronavirus executive order. Lawsuits have also been filed against the governors of three other states -- Texas, Ohio and Iowa -- for the same issue.

"It is critical that we do everything to make sure access to abortion care is protected," said Nicole McAfee, director of policy and advocacy for the ACLU of Oklahoma. "Challenging what has been a trend by Republican governors to use the COVID-19 public health response to try to limit access to abortion care. It just seeks injunction that allows folks to provide that critical abortion access to continue to practice."

Speaking on behalf of the governor's office, Hunter sent KOCO 5 statement saying the lawsuit, "It attacks the governor’s executive order which preserves limited health care resources and medical safety equipment, in blatant disregard of the escalating illness and death this pandemic is inflicting on Oklahomans."

The lawsuit claims Stitt's decision violates constitutional rights and risks the health and safety of patients.